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Harry and Meghan have been accused of ‘enormous hypocrisy’ after flying back to California from the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in a ‘Russian oligarch-style’ private jet.
The eco-preaching Duke and Duchess of Sussex returned to their £11million Montecito mansion with their children Archie and Lilibet on a gas-spewing Bombardier Global 6000 before the grand finale of the Jubilee pageant even began on Sunday.
Bombardier is an ‘ultra long range’ 13-passenger private jet which comes with its own ‘private stateroom’ that features a flatbed and can travel more than 6,000 miles without stopping. It is not clear who paid for the £160,000 flight.
Climate experts believe the journey will have resulted in ten times more carbon being emitted than if the Sussexes had taken a commercial flight. The royal couple’s flight from Farnborough to Santa Barbara will have emitted nearly 60 tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, according to chartered flight provider Paramount Business Jets.
Under the terms of the Paris Agreement objective of keeping global warming below 2C, each person’s carbon budget should be no more than 2.1 tonnes per year – meaning Harry and Meghan exceeded this by nearly 15 times in just one flight.
As Harry and Meghan also flew into Britain on a private jet, and assuming it was the same aircraft, their overall return trip would have exceeded the annual limit by nearly 30 times. By comparison, the carbon emission rating of flying from Heathrow to LA in an economy-class seat on a commercial aircraft is 1.4 tonnes, according to climate consultancy Cube6.
The Duke of Sussex previously described climate change as one of the ‘most pressing issues we are facing’, and told Oprah Winfrey during the couple’s bombshell interview last year: ‘We need to do better about stopping or allowing the things that are causing so much harm to so many of us at the source, rather than being distracted by the symptom.’
Royal expert Tom Quinn has now accused the Sussexes of ‘enormous hypocrisy’. The author of Kensington Palace: An Intimate Memoir from Queen Mary to Meghan Markle told The Times: ‘They pontificate about helping people and the planet and then they take private jets. They tell people to look after the environment and then they don’t look after the environment themselves. It’s enormously hypocritical.’
He said the Bombardier 6000 was a ‘Russian oligarch kind of jet’ for people who ‘just don’t care’, adding it is ‘almost like sticking two fingers up at the environmental lobby’.
The jet type has been linked to several Russian businessmen in the past, including Roman Abramovich and Farkhad Akhmedov.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex flew back to California on a Bombardier Global 6000, pictured above
The private jet that the couple took is seen flanked by SUVs as Harry and Meghan’s luggage is unloaded
Harry is pictured arriving back in California after an early flight on their private jet before the Queen’s Jubilee had ended
Meghan and Harry departing the National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral in London on June 3, 2022
This MailOnline graphic shows the cabin layout of the Bombardier Global 6000 private jet
Harry and Meghan’s entourage in California were seen with a blue child-size scooter (pictured) and wooden swing set which looked similar to the one gifted to William and Kate by Prince Charles
Another assistant was seen reaching for a blue scooter that was sitting on top of a suitcase and though Lilibet and Archie were not seen during the Jubilee baby equipment could be seen being offloaded
Harry and Meghan celebrated their daughter Lilibet’s first birthday in Windsor yesterday with a ‘relaxed’ birthday party —with royal second cousins invited to the festivities. Pictured, the couple with children Archie and Lilibet
Bombardier Global 6000: Luxury private jet used by Harry and Meghan over Jubilee weekend
File image of the exterior of a Bombardier Global 6000
File image of the cabin inside a Bombardier Global 6000
File image of a sofa inside a Bombardier Global 6000
SPECIFICATIONS
Cabin width – 7ft 8in
Cabin length – 48ft 2in
Cabin height – 6ft 2in
Number of passengers – 13
Baggage capacity – 194 cu ft
Flight time – 13hrs 30mins
High-speed cruise – 559mph
File image of a table aboard a Bombardier Global 6000
File image of cabin rmeote facilities displayed on a tablet
File image of products in the bathroom of the jet
TECHNOLOGY
WiFi
On-demand in-flight entertainment system
Universal power outlets at every seat
iPads
HD Monitor and Blu-ray for the ultimate in-flight movie experience
Touchscreen cabin controls
Earlier this year, Harry and Meghan launched new eco-travel project which would see holidaymakers ‘rated’ on their green credentials.
During last November’s Cop26 climate change conference in Glasgow, Harry and Meghan vowed that their Archewell foundation would go Net Zero by 2030. In a statement on their website, they said they have ‘actively made choices to offset and balance their carbon footprint’ and added they would be looking at ‘what they eat’ and ‘how often they eat it’.
Their intervention came hours after the Queen failed to mention the Sussexes but praised Prince Charles and Prince William in her Cop26 address.
And in May last year, Harry said it was ‘pretty depressing’ that children were growing up in a world where their home country was ‘either on fire or underwater’. He went on to insist that climate change must be tackled ‘at the source’.
MailOnline has contacted representatives for the Sussexes for comment.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were seen for the last time in public on Friday at the Thanksgiving service in St Paul’s Cathedral before they flew back home when the Jubilee Pageant kicked off today.
The couple, who have been largely absent from the fanfare, spent a lot of time at Frogmore Cottage during their stay and hosted a ‘relaxed’ party for Lilibet’s first birthday at the Windsor residence.
They did not attend the Platinum Party and stayed in Windsor alongside the Queen to reportedly watch the concert with Her Majesty.
Harry and Meghan then drove, according to the Sun, to Farnborough Airport at 1.30pm, an hour before the Pageant started at 2.30pm and are now on their way back to California.
This was hours before the Queen – who sources say was ‘determined’ to bravely overcame her painful mobility issues – returned to Buckingham Palace to personally thank the thousands of well-wishers in the crowd who had turned out to express their own gratitude.
She was flanked by her three heirs – son, Prince Charles, grandson, Prince William, and great-grandson, Prince George – offering a glimpse into the monarchy’s future.
The Sussexes were left out of any official role during the Jubilee, and one aide told the Telegraph at the beginning of the Jubilee they would not be having ‘a prominent role’ in the festivities.
The Daily Mail’s Richard Kay wrote that the long weekend saw a triumph of ‘public service and duty’ over the ‘celebrity-driven approach of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’ and whose absence was ‘barely noticed’.
He added: ‘Right now our love for monarchy is greater and more enduring than ever.’
Sunday’s Platinum Jubilee Pageant was an afternoon of entertainment for members of the royal family, who all sat together alongside their siblings and cousins. The parade told the story of her life, and the nation, with an eccentric, fun and imaginative carnival-like display.
An insider said: ‘There was no fanfare, they just went. They didn’t stick around for the Platinum Jubilee pageant which is a celebration of Britain and all of its quirks and eccentricities over the Queen’s 70 year reign.’
Instead of attending this and a concert yesterday, Harry and Meghan celebrated their daughter Lilibet’s first birthday in Windsor on Saturday with a ‘relaxed’ birthday party – with royal second cousins invited to the festivities.
The Sussexes released a picture taken as the little girl – named in tribute to the Queen, whose childhood nickname was Lilibet – celebrated her first birthday in the grounds of Frogmore Cottage at Windsor on Saturday with birthday cake, balloons, party games and picnic snacks.
Among the gifts were apparently a pastel pink VW Beetle ride-on car, £75 from Selfridges, while Sussex supporters donated $100,000 to charity in her honour. Prince Charles may have bought her a swing similar to one he bought for Prince George.
In the first public picture of Lilibet since she was a babe-in-arms, it revealed that Her Majesty’s great-granddaughter smiling and dressed in a pale blue frock with a white bow in her strawberry blonde hair.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex invited close friends and family to an ‘intimate backyard picnic’ while in Britain for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations, before jetting home to California on Sunday.
The image of Lilibet sitting happily on the grass was taken by family friend Misan Harriman, who also shared an image of Meghan holding her daughter inside Frogmore – the home they spent £2.4million of taxpayers’ money refurbishing before quitting as royals and emigrating.
Mother and her red-haired daughter were posing with the photographer’s blonde wife Camilla Holmstroem, a former Goldman Sachs banker turned entrepreneur, and their two daughters, who both had their faces painted, one of the activities laid on for guests. But while Mr Harriman also shared a picture of him smiling with his eldest child on Instagram and Twitter, there were no pictures of Harry and Archie released.
Last night it was claimed that the Queen banned Harry and Meghan from having a photographer capture the Monarch meeting her great-granddaughter Lilibet for the first time.
The photographer has not been named – but it may be their friend Mr Harriman, who has photographed the Sussexes several times since they became a couple around six years ago.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have released a new picture of Lilibet on her first birthday at Frogmore Cottage
In this picture Lilibet is seen in her mother Meghan’s arms inside Frogmore beside photographer Misan Harriman’s wife Camilla Holmstroem and their two daughter
The 96-year-old is said to have met Harry and Meghan’s daughter on Thursday. However, they were allegedly told ‘no chance’ of an official photo because it was a ‘private family meeting’, The Sun reported.
Palace insiders may have worried any photos taken by Harry and Meghan would be shared with TV networks in the US or in Harry’s upcoming memoirs.
On Saturday they enjoyed the British summer sunshine to throw a birthday picnic for their daughter’s first birthday. East London baker Claire Ptak – who made the couple’s wedding cake in 2018 – created new treats for the low-key bash. She later shared a picture of a small peony-covered cake that could be the one enjoyed by guests.
A spokesman for the couple did not name family members who attended the party, but Zara and Mike Tindall are believed to have made an appearance. But Prince William, Kate, George and Charlotte were in Wales representing the Queen.
The Sussexes left for their California home the following day – on a gas-guzzling private jet – before the grand finale of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee even began on Sunday.
Mr Harriman took the portraits used by the Sussexes to announce Meghan’s pregnancy with Lilibet in February 2021.
Those who are said to have also been at Frogmore Cottage include Zara and Mike Tindall’s three children, Mia, eight, Lena, three, and Lucas, one, as well as Savannah, 11, and Isla, 10, daughters of Peter Phillips and Autumn Kelly.
Three-year-old Archie’s godfather, Charlie Van Straubenzee, and his brother Tom, godfather to Princess Charlotte, were also invited, it is understood.
Photographer Mr Harriman wrote on her Twitter: ‘It was such a privilege to celebrate the first birthday of Lilibet with my family and hers! Joy and face painting all around.’
Twitter royal commentator and friend of the Sussexes Omid Scobie said the couple invited close friends and family for an ‘intimate backyard picnic’ as he posted the picture.
Mr Scobie added that Harry and Meghan’s wedding baker Claire Ptak made a special order for the party.
And was told by a spokesperson for the couple that they ‘remain incredibly touched by the countless birthday wishes for their daughter’ and have also been ‘amazed’ to learn that $100K (£79,000) was donated in Lilibet’s honour.
The funds went to World Central Kitchen, a not-for-profit organisation partnered with the couple’s Archewell foundation, according to a spokesperson for the Sussexes.
The organisation has provided support in Uvalde, Texas and Ukraine, the spokesperson said.
A spokesperson for the couple did not name specific family members who attended the event.
A source spoke to The Sun, about the party, saying: ‘It was a lovely do and had everything you’d expect from a child’s birthday party.
‘The idea was for it to be very relaxed and casual, with people free to pop in and out as they wished.’
They said that it was a ‘nice opportunity’ for some of the royal children to meet little Lilibet, with this trip being her first time in the UK.
They added that ‘lots of discussion’ had been had about the best gifts for the ‘milestone’ birthday, with a ‘£75 pink Volkswagen Beetle ride-on toy’ proving a popular idea.
The couple were also seen at the Friday’s thanksgiving service at St Paul’s Cathedral, where a huge cheer went up as Harry and Meghan arrived and they were greeted at the great west door by the Dean of St Paul’s.
It was the first time that the couple were on full public view alongside the Windsors since they quit the monarchy for a new life in the US two years ago.
They spent a few minutes talking to the senior cleric before they entered the place of worship and proceeded to greet the long line of clergy.
But before the festivities started an aide told The Telegraph: ‘The media might try to make them prominent, but in reality they are not going to be playing a prominent role. A line has been drawn.’
Harry stopped to chat for a few moments with the Archbishop of York who later will give the sermon and is expected to praise the Queen’s 70-year reign.
The Sussexes were also seen from a window at Thursday’s Trooping the Colour, but were not on the balcony alongside working royals.
Neither Lilibet, nor her older brother three-year-old Archie, have been seen in public at any of the festivities. And on Sunday, they missed the Monarch’s appearance to the nation where she made a surprise visit from the balcony.
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